The stock market has rallied in recent months despite a growing list of negatives that include tariffs, trade tensions, rising interest rates and valuations that are still high by historical standards. Jack Ablin, co-founder and chief investment officer (CIO) of Cresset Wealth Advisors sees the market breaking out to new record highs, based on five indicators, per an interview with CNBC.

For the first half of 2018, three exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuers in the U.S. captured more than 80% of all net U.S. ETF inflows. In the ETF space, the expense ratio is one of the most significant considerations that investors keep in mind when determining where to invest. At this point, ETFs have to keep expense ratios at a shockingly low level if they hope to compete with a growing field of rivals.

On August 13, US crude oil September futures fell 0.6% and settled at $67.2 per barrel. On the same day, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) fell 1.3%. The fall in energy stocks might have contributed to the 0.4% and 0.5% fall in the S&P 500 Index (SPY) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DIA), respectively, on August 13. Read Did Oil’s Fall Impact the S&P 500 Index? to learn more.

With the Section 232 tariffs, the US Department of Commerce is aiming to improve the domestic steel industry’s capacity utilization rate. While releasing its Section 232 recommendations, it noted, “The quotas or tariffs imposed should be sufficient, even after any exceptions (if granted), to enable US steel producers to operate at an 80 percent or better average capacity utilization rate based on available capacity in 2017.”

So far, 91% of the companies in the S&P 500 have reported their third-quarter earnings. Last week was mediocre for the market. The S&P 500 Index (SPY) fell 0.25% for the week ending August 10. Last week was average for most of the sectors in the index.

Judging by recent Wall Street commentary, investors are starting to notice liquidity again, meaning they’re noticing the lack of it. The most noticeable sign came earlier in the year with volatility spiking following the stock market plunge in late January. Although the subsequent rebound makes the selloff look like a mere correction, investors should heed it as a warning sign that liquidity is drying up amid Federal Reserve monetary tightening and other global central banks becoming less accommodative, literally cutting off the supply of fresh capital, according to Business Insider.

Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, have become a popular way to invest in assets. Investors should look at exchange-traded funds as a hybrid between individual stocks and a mutual fund. ETFs give investors the diversification found in mutual funds yet behave and trade like a single stock.

Goldman Sachs expects the S&P 500 Index to end the year at 2,850, only a 0.6% increase from Friday’s closing. Goldman says several of its clients have been questioning how a resolution, combined with strong economic growth, would affect their portfolios. … Investors remain concerned about trade and tariffs," said Goldman's chief U.S. equity strategist, David Kostin, in a note.